Fair-skinned individuals are at a higher than average risk of developing melanoma, a cancer that develops from melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanin is a general term, encompassing eumelanin (brown/black pigments) and pheomelanin (red/blond pigments) and various mixtures of these species. Recent evidence suggests that the red/blond pheomelanin pigment may have UV-radiation-independent as well as UV-exacerbated pro-oncogenic roles, leading to the formation of pre-malignant lesions that are challenging to diagnose by physician exam due to their lack of visible color. Therefore, the ability to identify and characterize pheomelanin within skin has emerged as a critical need, both to improve understanding of the underlying biology of these pre-malignant lesions and to refine diagnostic strategies for melanoma. In addition, certain melanoma lesions are characterized by variability of coloration, with regions that are light or unpigmented—thereby potentially representing similar pheomelanin-containing but poorly visualized regions of melanoma growth.